Anthony Russell has been charged with the murder of Ian Huntley at HMP Frankland.

The Soham murderer died in hospital on Saturday 7 March after the attack in prison the week before.

Serving prison Russell has been charged with murder, Durham Constabulary has today (March 10) confirmed.

A force statement said: "A man has been charged with murder following an incident at HMP Frankland in Durham.

"Emergency services were called to reports of an assault in the workshop on the morning of Thursday, 26 February.

"Ian Huntley, 52, was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died on the morning of Saturday, 7 March.

"Anthony Russell, 43, of HMP Frankland, has been charged with murder and will appear via video link at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 11 March."

Former school caretaker Huntley - who murdered two 10-year old schoolgirls in Soham - was reportedly attacked on Thursday 26 February with a makeshift weapon, and had his life support turned off in hospital on Friday.

advertisement

Huntley was sentenced to 40 years behind bars for murdering schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Cambridgeshire in 2002.

Huntley was reportedly discovered lying in a pool of blood after the attack in the workshop.

He has been attacked in prison multiple times before.

In 2002 he killed two 10-year-old girls after luring the girls back to his home and leaving their bodies in a ditch in Suffolk.